Looking Up

Five minutes at the end of each week explores the big and the small questions in astronomy, cosmology, and space science. Hosted by Kechil Kirkham, no subject is too big or too small, and experts are regularly brought on board to illuminate and excite. Cape Town is the place to be for astronomy, with some of the largest telescopes in the world housed or being built not too far away. Looking Up takes advantage of the shoals of scientists and engineers working on the planet’s most advanced astronomy projects, who live and work right here in the Mother City. Kechil has recently acquired an MPhil in Space Studies at the University of Cape Town, and works in South Africa’s space industry on the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.

Looking Up - 10 Dec 25 - Gerhard Swart, SKA

Gerhard Swart of the SKA talks to Kechil about South Africa's electric car.

12-10
05:05

Looking Up - 03 Dec 25 - Kathryn Rosie, Mechanical Engineer at SAAO

Kathryn Rosie, Mechanical Engineer at SAAO describes the building of Hera, a radio telescope.

12-03
05:15

Looking Up - 26 Nov 25 - John Woodland describes Follow That Star

John Woodland describes Follow That Star, an upcoming musical performance.

11-26
05:40

Looking Up - 19 Nov 25 - Dr Danièl Groenwald, Astronomy Operations Manager

Dr Danièl Groenwald, Astronomy Operations Manager at SALT, talks Kechil through the future of the Southern African Large Telescope.

11-19
06:08

Looking Up - 12 Nov 25 - The Southern African Large Telescope

The Southern African Large Telescope marks its 20yr anniversary. Dr Encarni Romero Colmanero describes the highlights of its discoveries.

11-12
04:59

Looking Up - 05 Nov 25 - Prof Todd Tripp

What happens in-between the galaxies? Prof Todd Tripp explains.

11-05
05:22

Looking Up - 29 Oct 25 - Prof Peter Dunsby, astrotourism project.

A private remote observatory in South Africa: Prof Peter Dunsby talks about his astrotourism project.

10-29
04:26

Looking Up - 22 Oct 25 - Humans do strange things

Humans do strange things, like sending weird stuff into space.

10-22
05:46

Looking Up - 15 Oct 25 - 3 Comets

3 comets are visible in our skies

10-15
04:53

Looking Up - 08 Oct 25 - Low frequency gravitational waves

Are we bobbing about on a sea of low frequency gravitational waves?

10-08
05:12

Looking Up - 01 Oct 25 - Prof Jessica Dempsey, Director General Square Kilometer Array

Looking Up 1,000! Prof Jessica Dempsey is the upcoming Director General of the Square Kilometer Array, one of the biggest science projects in the world. She talks to Kechil about her new role.

10-01
05:14

Looking Up - 24 Sept 25 - Fast Radio Bursts

Masters student Kira Hanmer talks about mysterious Fast Radio Bursts.

09-24
05:34

Looking Up - 17 Sept 25 - The Mars Perseverance rover

The Mars Perseverance rover - has it found evidence of life?

09-17
05:23

Looking Up - 10 Sept 25 - Dr Sushant Dutta performs post-mortems of radio galaxies

Dr Sushant Dutta performs post-mortems of radio galaxies. He explains why to Kechil.

09-10
05:16

Looking Up - 03 Sept 25 - Molecular Hydrogen, Plus a lunar eclipse on 7th September.

A terrible description of molecular hydrogen in the early universe. Plus a lunar eclipse on 7th September.

09-03
05:09

Looking Up - 27 Aug 25 - Anti-matter

A few years ago scientists went hunting for stars made from anti-matter. What did they find?

08-27
04:12

Looking Up - 20 Aug 25 - Karen Lee-Waddell, the director of the Australian SKA

Australia and South Africa are the locations of the massive Square Kilometre Array radio telescope. Karen Lee-Waddell, the director of the Australian SKA Regional Centre talks to Kechil about it.

08-20
04:55

Looking Up - 13 Aug 25 - Dr Anna Bosman, computer scientist

Dr Anna Bosman, computer scientist at the University of Pretoria, talks to Kechil about using machine learning in astronomy

08-13
07:01

Looking Up - 06 Aug 25 - JUICE spacecraft

Do you want to listen to what the JUICE spacecraft heard when it flew by the Earth?

08-06
04:57

Looking Up - 30 July 25 - Where is all the matter in the universe?

Where is all the matter in the universe? How are Fast Radio Bursts being used to find where it is?

07-30
04:41

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